Beliefs

One of the underlying themes of the book is acting according to beliefs. This is a turbulent period in United States history. The civil rights movement is underway as well as the Vietnam War. This is also the period of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Many people are reevaluating their values, like Colin Diver does. He has already accepted a position with a prestigious Washington DC law firm. But he, like other people, has doubts about joining the establishment. He and his wife Joan are both concerned with social justice and the inequities and injustices they saw in the society around them. Colin eventually obtains a job working for the mayor of Boston so he could work on social issues, canceling his job with the Washington law firm. He works on school integration and the busing issue. Joan works for a philanthropic organization. They move their...